The conventional approach to solving a clue is to unravel the word-play and the fodder to arrive at the answer. However, with Paul and certain other compilers, I find that some of the time, I have to get some feasible answers and see how the answer fit into the word-play … sort of a reverse solving. And when you fully justify and rationalise the clue, you mutter to yourself “What a Tricky Dicky Paul is” … I certainly had very much fun today, being challenged, entertained and delighted by this maestro

DOWN
1 NOTIFY Ins of TIF (rev of fit) in NOY ) rev of yon (that)
3 ICE-BREAKER dd
4 GORSE Ins of S (first letter of spine) in GORE (blood)
5 BADMINTON Cha of BAD (awful) MINT (lot of money) ON. At least there is one sport left where Malaysia is still respected as a world power from the time we won the first Thomas Cup in Preston in 1949
6 MACE dd
7 ANIMATOR A Nima Tor (rev of ROT, corrupt & Idi Amin, dictator and last King of Scotland)
8 OINTMENT *(mention) & T (first letter of treatment)
13 RELENTLESS This clue got me so tickled. Imagine a year of 365 days being shortened by the 40 days of Lent. My favourite clue of the lot.
15 IDOLISING Cha of “I do” (old promise said at wedding) + ins of IS in LING (Heather)
16 SLUGGISH Try as I did, I could not parse this clue … am I getting sluggish?
17 TO DIE FOR dd
19 RECTUM Sounds like “Wreck ‘em” end of the alimentary canal
20 EMBARK EM (rev of me, the setter Paul) BARK (sound of setter, a dog) Very clever
23 LANKY L (line) YANK, moving Y to the back to form AMKY
24 SARI ha

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I got about 75% of this done and then ran out of time before work. Thanks for explaining my gaps. I was sure the Texans were famous for their blazing sunsets so wasn’t getting anywhere with 1a, 2d. Having seen the answer I think I like it as much as relentless!

I couldn’t explain a few of these clues … when I got 1ac/2dn … I uncharitably thought it was a regerence to George W. (Uncle Yap … imagine him saying nuclear bomb, I think you’ll get something like … nuke-u-lar barm …)

Some of last clues I got were also among my favourites (NODDING DONKEY, RECTUM, EMBARK). When you’ve struggled for a while, it’s satisfying if the penny drops leaving an answer you can fully understand and appreciate.

I did it but it’s too fiddly for me. I put in 1dn and 14ac but had lost the will to live by then so never worked them out. Clever clues though. It’s funny how some clues are easy and some difficult for no particular reason. I got 14dn immediately but struggled with 28ac for ages yet 14dn is probably more obscure.

Another great Paul puzzle and, as Eileen said, nice to see a bit of smut back after last weeks choirboyish effort. When I first started this one I thought we were getting the same deal as yesterday with a usually difficult setter going for an easy one but it turned into a just slightly easier than usual Paul. Favourite clue 14ac and like Ian 19d reminded me of an old joke but it is too rude to repeat here.
Stiofain

Re comment #18. When leaving a reply there are three boxes, name and email (both required) and the option for adding a website URL. If if anything is entered in the website box the software automatically assigns it as a link from the name (even if it is not a valid URL, eg ‘deleted’ in this instance) and the name is displayed in blue, instead of black, to indicate the presence of a link.

Good stuff today. One of those crosswords where nothing except a couple of easy ones came after 10 mins, then slowly starting cracking a few more. RECTUM was a great clue. 18ac was cleverly constructed too.

After 30 mins I only had 4d,10a,12a,16d,21a,24d & 27a. After an hour I had got no further. I should have got 22a and of course once you have more clues out the easier it is. Way out of my low league!
Would anyone be able to get 14a without crossing letters given that ordinal could be any number and not just nine?

Felt quite pleased to finish this with a couple of friends at work, thought there were some excellent clues. Enjoyed Relentless, proud enough to read the clue out to my long suffering wife when I got home,fully expecting to have the drum role and explain my answer. I’m afraid to say my thunder was stolen when Joanne answered ‘Relentless’ with barely a pause for thought, and she claims to be no good at cryptics (but is in possession of a fine logical mind!)